Differntial fluid change 2009 Sprinter

mike01001

Member
This isn't really a write up since the job is pretty straight forward but more about the the bolt size and fluid quantity and the decision to just do a drain and fill or remove the rear cover for a thorough cleaning and inspection.
After speaking with the tech at the Dodge dealership in Enfield CT (who has countless hours working on 2009 and older Sprinters) he told me it is better to do a drain and fill instead of removing the rear cover because of their experience with disturbing the seal and problems of undetected replacement seal failure and expensive repairs from the fluid leaking out. He told me the allen bolt size is a 14mm (figure around $8 at an auto parts store) and to add approximately three qts of fluid. He said fill until it is one knuckle from the top of the fill hole. In my experience this resulted in using just under 2 1/2 qts.
I know many people on this site have used different brands of diff fluid for this job but for the piece of mind of such an expensive repair from failure I used the OEM Mopar 80w-90 for Sprinters (part number 05136033AB). The oil was not cheap, $30/qt( In the future I will look for a cheaper source). According to the front of the bottle and description on the back of the bottle this fluid is expressly used for Sprinters and no other Dodge vehicles.
 

lindenengineering

Well-known member
Mike
First the oil is Mobil 1 75/85 gear oil which you can get from autopart stores. At about $18 to 20 bucks a bottle!

On high mileage rear ends 75/140 is good to quieten it down I have found.

Normally speaking simply draining it and filling it until it drips out of the level plug is all that is needed.
Remember on the road the oil level is "swishing up & down" (nice word that!) the axle tube, so the level will vary a bit.
Then as the differential spins in the case it will cause a channel to form within the churning fluid and one of these situations is beneficial since it naturally pumps oil with a 3rd of the ring gear's rotation to the oil internal oil passage feeding the highly stressed pinion roller bearings. The level will vary a bit.

Now since the axle on 906 Sprinters is low to the ground, relatively speaking, it is prone to impact damage. This in most cases it causes leakage at the cover gasket and it doesn't take much to lose 2.5 qrts and you then have a burned up rear end on your hands at about $5500 to fix!
On high mileage rear ends there can be quite a build up of metal and sludge residue in the "quiet zone" at the base of the case under the ring gear area.
This can be removed by removing the rear cover and cleaning it out.

Obviously as the mechanic who spoke to you has intimated! Care has to be enacted to clean off the faces, use a fresh gasket and secure the cover evenly to complete the job.
As with any job a test run is in order to check the work and make sure you have no leaks plus re-check the level and top off as necessary.

Of course a walk around your rig is always beneficial at any time (airline crews do it to planes so do truckers ) before you set off ! A glance at the end for leakages and drips at any time will forewarn you of an impending potential problem. Make sense !
I have a habit on the road of stopping for fuel , take a leak then go look for leaks as fuel is being pumped. I have got into that habit from driving old Landrovers for years in the ME and Africa !
Maybe all Americans should drive old Landrover and ride motorcycles like Africans for some period to fully understand what happens when stuff starts leaking!
This particularly applies to Sprinter RV owners who need to get on your hands and knees to see the rear and and those inner tyres on 3500 platforms!
Cheers Dennis
Mechanic
 

smiller

2008 View J (2007 NCV3 3500)
If you want an OEM-approved fluid at a reasonable price you can use Mobil Delvac 1 Gear Oil 75W-90, available at Camping World for $10/quart. This product is approved both in the owner's manual and Bevo.
 

mike01001

Member
Dennis I've read a number of your posts and know you are very experienced with Sprinters and appreciate the input. The next diff fluid change I will look for the Mobil oil. Unfortunately there are no Camping Worlds within a reasonable distance but I will look for it other places.
 

edfrompa

2008 ROADTREK on F/L 2500
Dennis I've read a number of your posts and know you are very experienced with Sprinters and appreciate the input. The next diff fluid change I will look for the Mobil oil. Unfortunately there are no Camping Worlds within a reasonable distance but I will look for it other places.
$57 per gal at Zoro.com with FREE shipping.
 

lindenengineering

Well-known member
Dennis I've read a number of your posts and know you are very experienced with Sprinters and appreciate the input. The next diff fluid change I will look for the Mobil oil. Unfortunately there are no Camping Worlds within a reasonable distance but I will look for it other places.
Yes just quote Mobil 1 full synthetic and my bad for stating 85 when its in fact 90 ( as pointed out) but you will see on the grey bottle that it meets and exceeds the MB spec for that application.
Please remember I and my staff work not just on Sprinters but other manufacturers stuff as well, so sometimes I have to refer to spec sheets at work to confirm the specs of certain factors & repair procedures.
Mostly I submit forums answers from home in my office amongst the chatter of my teen kids also doing stuff on computers and game toys.
All the best
Dennis
 

Ed463

Active member
I've just completed a full fluid change on my 4x4.

Apart from the transfer box and front diff ( I couldn't get the MB spec for these but I'm sure Red Line do sell the right spec.) I've used Red Line fully synthetic. I really rate this product. The gear change was a little reluctant 1st to 2nd when cold but it's now way better.

I've had good results with Red Line on a couple of other cars that have a reputation for chewing their own gearboxes.
 

CanSprinter11

New member
I am planning on doing this in the next couple weeks, did it on my older W126 S-Class.
Just curious what the NMs are for the two bolts.

Thank you.

Johannes
 

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